News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-02-10
THE FAITHFUL RATTLESNAKE.
a Realistic story of Real Life in Florida.

From the New York Commercial Advertiser
The truthful story tebegraphed from
Florida to the San concerning the faith
full rattlesnake that saved the life of its
little mistress in Breyard county tends
to prove that even the most savage and
vicious members of the brute creation
are susceptible to refining influences
and capable of exhibiting gratitude,
even at the expense of personal incOn-
venience. Perhaps no other living
creature has been pursued with more
fendish malignity by thu press and the
public than the rattlesnake. The s nc.
tity of his home has been invaded, his
rights have been trampled upon, and
his personal opinions ruthlessly set at
nought wherever he has come in contact
with civilization. But the q nerous
conduct of the Florida RATHER will
doubtless tend to the establishment of an
entente cordGaie between his species and
the public that will leadto better re-
lations in the future.
According to the New York San, a
strong friendship had grown up between
this Breyard county rattlesnake and a
little girl Is years old, the daughter of
q farmer living there. The child met
the snake by appointment every morn
ing, and the confding creature at her
bidding would nestle in her lap and
look up in her face with unspeaka lie
emotion in its soft dark orbs. When
she failed to appear at the appointed
time in the morning the snake would
become extremely anxious, and on one
occasion, when she did not keep the APP
pointment for an entire day, the agon-
lied RATHER cast itself at full length up
on the ground and remained in that po-
sition for twenty four hours in the ex-
tremity of its despair.
One morning last week, still by the
San, the girl was playing in some
bushes near her fathers house, with the
happy rattlesnake gambolling merfily
beside her, when a negro, who thought
she was unprotected, slipped upon her,
seized her by the arms, stihed her cries
by placing his hand over her mouth,
and started to carry her off into the
woods. As the terrified girl was borne
away she managed to turn her head and
cast an imploring glance back at her
dumb companion. The faithful reptile
understood that look. Casting aside
doubt and irresolution, it sprang to tho
resue, and, kissing with rage, struck the
negro in the neck, whereupon he
dropp d the girl and shuf1ed of this
mortal coil with neatness and despatch.
The girl had tainted, and the snake,
after looking to see that she was not
otherwise injured, ran to the house and
called for assistance.
The farmer was so much affected by
the conduct of the rattler that he ad-
mitted the trusty reptile into his house
hold, and although-as is privately re-
ported-the creature at once playfully
bit the little girls grandmother, on
the maternal side, and that estimable
woman's sister, both of whom have long
been members of the fathers family,
the grateful father refused to drive the
reptile from the freside until it attacked
his yellow dog. The devotion of the
faithful rattlesnake is one of the most
touching episodes of recent natural his
tory, and places that reptile upon an
equality with the Newfoundland dog
and the elephant for practical literary
purposes.